Star Fox: A New Dawn
by Rystal
Summary: Markus McCloud had fought faithfully against Venom for years. But what will he do when Dash Bowman suddenly takes away what he cared about most?
1. Chapter 1

All right!

This is my main story, based on Markus McCloud. Tell me what you think!

Chapter 1: Introduction to McCloud and O' Donnell  
Time: 9:30 S3, April 21

Even as the night began to set in, the war between Corneria and Venom raged on. Thousands of fighters clashed behind me, guns and missiles galore. I watched as a small white combat ship flew quickly through the skirmish. It flew into a group of Cornerian ships and dropped a smart bomb. The poor soldiers didn't have a chance. I watched sadly as they were taken down by the same means I had. I wish I could have helped them, but with my ship down, there's not much I can do but listen to Claire scold me.

Claire O' Donnell is an aggressive young woman. She's four years older than me, and she seems to assume leadership because of that. She's rather pushy and snaps at me for every mistake I make, from oversleeping to mistakes in combat. But even if she's always mad at me, she's still a lovely lady. Claire looks quite like her father, Wolf. The only big differences are that she's a female and has two perfect eyes. She actually has a pretty masculine build, and is very athletic. But she still is really beautiful…

"Markus McCloud, are you even listening to me?"

I quickly zapped back to reality only to realize that Claire was merely five inches away from my face. She had a stern look on her face and I could tell she was mad. I felt very uncomfortable knowing she was so close, because Claire has a habit of somehow causing me pain when I annoy her.

"You idiot, I was trying to explain my position!" I had a feeling she was going to punch me in the stomach. She did.

We went on and Claire filled me in on her mission. She was on a ground mission; Claire is too agile to be shot down. I've tried it; and had a broken arm the next day. But now that I was incapable of my duties, Claire's mission became 'our' mission. She contacted her father to let him know, and then fumed silently. Claire prefers to work alone.

Our parents don't come out on the field much anymore; however, they do help plan our actions. Wolf and my father are both Combat Commanders in the Cornerian army. They get along pretty well, but they still argue about a lot of little things. I guess the whole Star Fox/Star Wolf thing never really ended. I think that's why my father felt me working with Claire was a bad idea. Though our parents sort of have a Love/Hate relationship, with Claire and me, it's more like a Be Quiet So She Doesn't Kill You relationship. But even if she thinks I'm annoying as hell, she'll still be a nice girl.

"Stop crushing on me or I'll leave you here," Claire suddenly snapped. Oh… I forgot. Claire's mother is a Cerinian survivor just like mine. Except Claire inherited her mother's psychic abilities. She must have been sensing my thoughts. Oops.

Miss Lorelei (as everyone calls her) is Claire's mother. She's a quiet, well behaved woman. But make her mad, and she'll let her temper shine. She tries to hold in her emotions because she knows she's oversensitive, but she's also very understanding and kind. On another point, Miss Lorelei is from the same planet of my mother. People from Planet Cerinia are capable of powerful psychic abilities, but most of their people became space drifters after the planet was wiped out. Few did survive, and even those that did are exterminated by forces from Venom or followers of Andross. Many believe they're trying to stop them from getting stronger. Common Cerinian folklore speaks of people with telekinetic powers and shape-shifting abilities. Extremely seldom but skilled natives are even said to be healers. However, encountering a Cerinian is so rare, most people don't know of their existance. For that reason, Lorelei's the best psychic I've ever known, and she's capable of supernatural abilities like telekinesis and telepathy. When Miss Lorelei met my mother, she decided to become her mentor so Krystal could fully develop her abilities. Even though she's taught my mother pretty much everything she knows, her abilities dominate easily. And because of that, I think my mother's jealous. But I actually think-

"Markus, get down! NOW!"

Star Fox © Nintendo, you fools!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Sacrifice  
Time: 9:35 S3, April 21

"Claire, what's wrong?"

I was dazed for a moment. But I think I already knew the answer to my question. Something, rather, someone, seemed to be out there.

"Venom field troopers…" she mumbled. "Damn…"

"What?"

"Quiet. We need to get to this area's sector base…"

"I know! Is there any other way to get there?"

'Our' mission was to infiltrate a sector base. In every sector on Venom, there's an underground sector base. It serves as a main defensive unit, and in the heart of the base, there was a huge generator. It was our job to cut the power. But security was tough, and there were very few areas of entrance.

"Well, unless you want to dig your way in, the only other entrance is three miles southeast where there'll be even more security," Claire sighed.

"Can't we just kill them and be on our way?" I asked. I wasn't usually shooting for violence, but I was starting to get annoyed.

"Too risky. If they go down, everyone else will know what's coming," Claire explained. "Damn… there's got to be another way in… an emergency route, an air vent, something…"

"Why did we think they wouldn't be there in the first place?" I asked suddenly. It had just occurred to me.

"We didn't. Escort was supposed to get me in, but they were held up…"

Claire sat silently beside me and looked for a way to get in. I was uncomfortable and cramped beside her. The terrain around here is really rocky, and Claire had decided on hiding behind a small boulder. Too small, I thought silently. I was kind of cramped…

"I see a way in."

"How?" I asked.

"You see that air vent?" Claire said, pointing. "That's how."

She stood up and silently ran across the ground. I followed, naturally. The guards didn't notice. She stood behind another boulder, watching the men. I nudged her shoulder. "Come on, let's go!" I whispered. But she stayed there. I decided to start without her. I began walking toward the vent. "Markus, no!"

"Markus!"

What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. She screamed and shoved me aside. I watched helplessly then as I realized what I'd done. A trooper had seen me and fired. I watched as the attack meant for me struck. Claire's body was thrown back in the air upon impact. She fell down on her side and lied there motionless.

Horror shot through me. I couldn't move for a minute. Then, all peace left me. Pure anger rushed into my mind. I drew my gun and fired. Right then I didn't care who I shot, I just knew someone had to die. I turned to the one who had shot her. I ran at him and slugged him in the face, then shot him several times in the chest. Then I focused on the guards who were running towards me. I killed them, all of them. As soon as I knew they were down I was at Claire's side. "Claire! Claire, are you okay?" My voice showed concern and panic, but I didn't care. I turned her body over. Her face was a blank expression. Then I noticed- she was gripping her chest with her hand and she had winced in pain.

"Claire, is that where shot you?" I asked, still panicking.

"Yeah…" Her voice was very hoarse and raspy. Life returned to her face and she tried to sit up. She moaned in pain.

I wrapped my arm around her and let her lean on me. She was able to stand up, but it was very difficult. "Are you okay?" I asked. I then realized what a stupid question that was. Despite that, she answered.

"I'm fine…" she sputtered. I knew she was going to try and pretend she was okay.

"You need to go to the hospital, Claire," I said, stating the obvious.

"No, I don't. Leave it alone already," she argued. After hearing that, I decided to ask another stupid question.

"Is it bad?" She slipped off her jacket and took off her shirt. I was very taken aback by this, but I forgot when I saw the wound. There was a strange jet-black marking on her chest where she was shot.

"What in God's name…?" It was nothing like I'd ever seen before. I ran over to the trooper who shot her. He wore a different outfit than the others. Strange. I picked up his gun and examined it. I didn't recognize it. I couldn't read the writing, either.

"I wonder what language that is." I jumped. I hadn't realized she was behind me. She was looking at the gun rather strangely. "I- I think it's some sort of paralysis blaster…" she said.

"What?" I took this time to realize she put her clothes back on.

"I feel fine, now… see?" She jumped around and even did a cartwheel. I was rather taken aback that she'd healed so suddenly. I knew Claire was quite aerobic, and she can use psychic powers to jump high distances and walk on walls, but even Claire isn't a healer. And not a minute ago she was writhing in pain on the ground. However, I had already identified that Claire doesn't like people who argue with her. So I decided to trust her when she stated she was okay. I was still concerned, though…

Star Fox © Nintendo, you fools!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Cut the Power  
Time: 10:15 S3, April 21

Navigating inside the sector base proved more difficult than I expected. It was different than the bases on Corneria. Not only was it underground, it seemed to be built like a maze. Claire didn't seem to be having as much trouble as I was, so I just trusted her sense of navigation.

Claire is a master of stealth and secrecy. It's one of the reasons she prefers to work alone. Even as a pilot, she prefers to work in the background. She's not one to go head to head in the air. However, she is an outstanding physical fighter. She doesn't even use her pistol. Even her weapons of choice, the two silver daggers she hides on her belt, are rarely used. She doesn't need to. In simple terms, challenging her to a fistfight means you have a death wish.

As we walked into the next room, I gasped and looked around. There was a huge generator in the center of the room. Instantly, Claire took a strange chip from her watch and plugged it into a port in a nearby computer. I watched quietly, and then realized: she was hacking in to their internal network. I watched, fascinated, as she set to work. Then I realized something else: she'd done this before.

"This is how you hacked into my MySpace account!" I suddenly accused. She looked back at me and cocked an eyebrow. "I have my moments…" she muttered quietly. I stood there angrily for a few minutes, going over that day, remembering how shocked I was when I realized what she'd done to my account. Before I had the chance to wallow in my anger and self-pity, Claire took back the chip and turned to me.

"Done."

As if on cue, an alarm suddenly went off, and Claire grabbed my arm. "Well, don't just stand there, RUN!" she told me.

She didn't have to say it twice. We ran down the hall, trying to find the closest exit. It was hard work. Claire's a much faster runner than I am, and she had to keep slowing down because of it.

"Why did the alarm go off?" I asked, trying to keep up.

"I've got temporary control of the network, but they don't seem to like that. Anyway, the power will be gone in five minutes!" she explained. "Run faster!" Claire shouted over the blaring alarm. We came to a fork in the hall.

"Which way?" I asked hastily.

She fumbled around and checked her watch, which seemed to do more than just check the time.

"Damn it!" she muttered. "Stupid reception signal…"

She closed her eyes, seemingly trying to remember which way we'd come in. I tried to remember too, but I didn't know for sure.

"Left!" Claire said, turning left. I had a sudden urge to disagree.

"Let's go right!" I grabbed her arm and ran to the right. I pushed open a door and we ran into the next room, then noticed the guards. I'd led us into an ambush. Several soldiers came up behind us and blocked our only way of escape.

"Damn you all, damn you all to hell!" Claire yelled. "Markus, get ready for a fight…" I could see she was not in the mood to battle; her face showed loss of stamina and I could tell she was already weak. She drew the daggers from her belt and ran towards the guards. I drew my gun, and joined her. We were outnumbered hopelessly, and we both knew it. No matter how many we took down, there was always another to fight. Finally fed up, I jumped to Claire's side.

"Claire, we need to call for backup!" I told her. It was true. We had no hope of escaping; we were both exhausted and the guards just kept coming. She glared at me for a second, then proceeded to stab a guard in the chest.

"No, we don't. And even if we wanted to, communication lines are down," she protested. Claire was very stubborn and prideful, and she hated having to admit she wasn't strong enough. I tell you, she's quite like her father.

"Claire, now is not the time for you to prove your strength!" I snapped back.

"I'm fine!" she yelled angrily. I decided to let it go, but I was still wondering how in God's name we were supposed to come out of this alive. I knew that if I was losing my stamina, Claire had to be ten times worse. Even though the shot she took earlier had only been a paralysis shot, I noticed she seemed to have a lack of energy afterwards. The strange thing was, Claire usually didn't have trouble with these kinds of missions… Why was it so difficult this time…?

_I'm holding her back._

This horrifying realization made me stop for a moment. At first, I thought it was ridiculous. But then, I realized why Claire prefers to work alone.

_A trooper had seen me and fired. I watched as the attack meant for me struck. Claire's body was thrown back in the air upon impact. She fell down on her side and lied there motionless._

_It was hard work. Claire's a much faster runner than I am, and she had to keep slowing down because of it._

_"Let's go right!" I grabbed her arm and ran to the right. I pushed open a door and we ran into the next room, then noticed the guards. I'd led us into an ambush._

I finally found the courage to ask myself the question I'd been dreading. Was all this my fault? Fortunately, I didn't have time to answer.

A piercing scream tore into my ears. I looked over to Claire to see if she was okay, but only to see that she had fallen to the ground, unconscious. "Claire!" I shouted. Something in my mind- whether it was instinct or concern -made me lunge toward her, but it only gave one of the guards a chance to shoot me in the arm. Injured, mentally drained, and loss of endurance got to me. I grabbed Claire and dove behind a large piece of scrap metal. I scanned the room. Above us was some sort of huge glass dome. Whatever it was, it was a way out, for I could see red sky.

I suddenly took the time to observe the fact I was under attack. A mechanical soldier was trying to jump me. I quickly shot it down, only to quickly find that there was another behind me. I took Claire's dagger and stabbed it, forgetting it was a machine. Electricity suddenly coursed through my body and I collapsed. I couldn't fight anymore. I didn't have the energy, I couldn't get up. I tried desperately to move, because the first mecha had gotten up for another round. But it didn't matter, everything was blacking out anyway; I was losing consciousness... I had… to stay… awake…

Star Fox © Nintendo, you fools!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Kyle Lombardi, New Savior  
Time: 13:05 S3, April 21

With all the injuries I'd sustained, it was hard to keep a mental state of mind. The sound of breaking glass filled my ears, and I looked up to see Kyle Lombardi's downed Arwing crash straight into my attacker. Kyle jumped out in the nick of time; the Arwing exploded suddenly without warning. The explosion startled the remaining guards and had even taken some of them down. He ran towards us and kneeled at my side.

"I take it you guys are having trouble, too, huh!" He grinned.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, you idiot," I told him. I managed a smile. Kyle happens to be my childhood friend, as well as a powerful assistance in battle. He can be a bit of a prankster, and I believe he gets it from his father, Falco. His mother, Angela, is pretty nice too. My father introduced me to him, and we've been friends ever since.

With a huge opportunity at hand, we took our chance. We got up and tore through the remaining guards. Since most of had already been taken down by the explosion or the falling glass, it was an easy task. Minutes later, our job was complete.

"That was easier than I expected," I told him. I grinned at him gratefully.

"Yeah, but now there's only one problem," he said with a sad smile.

"What?" I asked.

"With my Arwing down, how do we get back to Corneria?"

"Oh, yeah…" I mumbled. It was true, and if Claire was right about the communication lines being down, we were kind of screwed.

I checked my communicator, but there wasn't any signal. Perhaps we were too far underground. Kyle and I stared at each other for a few seconds, and he started laughing nervously.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

"Umm…" I could not think of what to do next, for if getting out of the sector base wasn't bad enough, we had no ship to get off of this God forsaken planet…

"…Markus, my Wolfen… my Wolfen is down the LEFT corridor…" I turned around to see that Claire had regained consciousness. The young wolf smiled at me and shrugged. "You idiot…"

I ran over to her, the only thing I could do was hug her. "Claire, why didn't you tell me?" I sighed in relief of her well being. I was glad she was okay.

"It was hard… you had your mind… set on going right… I tried to tell you…" she said. "Why… why did you go that way… you idiot… look what you did…"

Hearing those words made me feel better. If Claire had enough energy to scold me, I guess she had to be okay. For once, I listened to her snap at me with absolute happiness. "…need to think before you act, furball…"

But as I walked out of the room with them, I heard something I'd never thought I'd hear.

"Markus?" Claire smiled. "…Thanks for fighting for me. I… I don't think I'd be here without you…" I must tell you, it filled me with happiness just to know that she recognized that. Just to know she thought anything of me… that was enough.

I walked down that left corridor somewhat proud. I was alive, and with my greatest friend, Kyle Lombardi, and with the girl that I finally respected me, Claire O' Donnell.

Star Fox © Nintendo, you fools!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Hospital?  
Time: 19:45 S3, April 21

After we'd returned to Corneria, we had a small celebration with the rest of our team. Our mission had been completed successfully; even with my constant screw ups during that time. I was still worried though, about Claire, she hadn't completely healed from the strange wound she received from before. So I suggested she go to the hospital, but I already knew what that answer would be. She bluntly refused; like I didn't see that coming, so I asked Kyle to help me convince her.

"Claire, you really need to go to the hospital. It's for your own good!" Kyle tried.

"For the last time, no! Why are you so keen on making me go to the damn hospital?" she snapped back with utmost belligerence. Man, I wish she wasn't as stubborn as her father!

"Claire, please-"

"Hey, you two, if she doesn't want to go she doesn't have to. Leave her alone already!" I recognized that voice. It belonged to the most annoying girl on the planet Corneria, Stephanie Caroso. She had with her her little sister, Carol, who was about 19. She walked up to me and crossed her arms. "Jeez, you're, like, so demanding, aren't you!" she told me.

Stephanie is a black cat filled with nothing but a narcissistic ego. Her favorite colors are red and pink, and she always walks around in a little red dress. She had white hair that would have looked nice have not she put in pink highlights, and she had big yellow eyes that can creep you out instantly. In addition to that, she carries around a red rose, which was the symbol of her father, Panther. She'll never go anywhere without it. It's the most important item of necessity, right next to her katana. It's some sort of curved sword… I don't know why, but she likes it a lot. I've also noticed she has a habit of saying the word 'like.' Why did she have to be apart of our combat team!? Why!?

"Will you just go away?" I growled angrily. I could feel blood pumping through my head. I don't care; Stephanie is no doubt the girly, most annoying, and self-centered, all around valley girl person I know.

"Will you but out of other people's business?" she countered. I could tell that I had made her as angry as bull with a red flag in front of it. I knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Shut up, you-" I began.

"Both of you, quiet!" Claire yelled at the top of her voice. We both glared at her. "My God, you two are so immature. Markus, she's right, stay out of my business. And Stephanie, for Pete's sake, I don't need you to fight my battles!"

We stood there in an awkward silence, glaring at each other. Kyle seemed to want to leave as quickly as possible, not wanting to engage in the fight as well.

"You two are so loud and annoying! Look, you made Claire leave!" Carol told us. It was true; Claire was walking over towards the stairway. I instinctively ran after her.

"Claire, please listen to me…" I started to run down the stairs after her, but before I could get that far my leg buckled. I tried to grab the supporting rail, but as I did, a sharp pain shot through my arm. Within seconds, I'd found myself collapsed on the ground. Claire looked back at me.

"Looks like I'm not the only one that needs to go to the hospital," she said coolly. She walked back to me and smiled smugly.

If that wasn't bad enough, Stephanie kneeled beside me. Her shrill laughter echoed through my mind. "Come on, little boy, we need to take you to the hospital!" She laughed again.

"I'm fine!" I said, sitting back up.

"Claire, you're the one that's hurt!" I wasn't going to give up, especially in front of Stephanie. But Claire also stooped down at my side. "And you say I'm stubborn…"

I didn't know whether to be mad at the fact I, myself, just defeated the purpose of the whole conversation, or to be embarrassed from the fact I just lost the argument against Stephanie. I tried to get up, but another jolt of pain shocked me in the arm. I fell again. After that I don't remember much, I could recall crying out in pain as the last volt of stress went coursing through my body, then felt a hand hit the nerves that made the pain lessen. I could also recollect a soft voice say, "Don't worry, I've got your tail, fur ball."

Star Fox © Nintendo, you fools!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Hospitals are Boring  
Time: N/A

I woke up with a start the next day, not quite recognizing where I was. I tried to look around, but I couldn't seem to get enough energy to move. As I tried to open my eyes, I was greeted by an all too familiar, cheerful voice.

"Hey, you're awake!" I looked around to find out who the voice belonged to. At first, I couldn't really make it out, but…

"Markus, wake up; it's me!" the voice told me.

My eyes finally came into focus and I could at last see my company. I was puzzled to see Kyle sitting in a white chair next to me. I was tired, my arm was sore, and I wanted to go back to sleep, but I decided it would be rude if I did. Luckily, Kyle knows me well and figured that out on his own.

"Still sleepy, huh?" He gave me the smart aleck grin that he usually did. Kyle can be a bit of a prankster, and likes to make little gadgets for his own entertainment. He's a good mechanic, and people have a habit of relying on him because of it.

"Whaddya mean, still?" I honestly didn't think I had been asleep that long, but it seems whatever my estimate was, it was way off.

"Still? You've been unconscious for ungodly amounts of time!" he exclaimed. I was completely taken aback by this. I had no idea what time it was, where I was, or how I got there. I sat up suddenly and tried to slam the desk next to me out of complete confusion.

"Hey, calm down!" Kyle said, trying to get me to lay down. I calmed myself; I knew that for some reason it was important that I not get up. But I think it was mostly because a quick jolt of pain had burst through my body.

"Where am I?" I yelled angrily. Confusion and frustration were the only things I could presently feel… well, that, and the horrifying pain originating from my arm. I knew I wouldn't be satisfied unless all my questions were answered, so I continued on: "How long have I been here!?"

"Calm down. You're in the hospital," he told me. With another thought he added, "And quiet, or the nurse will come in and tell me to scat!"

I sensed he was trying to avoid answering me, because Kyle likes to beat around the bush when he doesn't want me to know something. I knew I was in the hospital, but I needed to know what time it was… I guess he thought I wouldn't like his answer, so, I tried to answer myself.

"So… um… I guess I've been here for a few hours?" I smiled weakly.

He looked at me, and then bowed his head. There was silence for a bit. I didn't want to be rude, but I was getting really impatient.

"Kyle? How long have I been here?" I demanded. "Kyle?"

He shook his head slowly. "You've been here for 3 days, Markus. We were all worried about you, but you wouldn't wake…"

I was confused for a moment. I didn't understand, I was unconscious for a few days, but why was Kyle so worried about telling me? He sure was acting weird…

"Markus, don't you remember anything?" he asked, his voice holding a tone of concern. I didn't know why. For a minute, I was confused. Then, I remembered.

Oh, no.

Oh, God, no. Stephanie was _never_ going to let this pass. This was not good. This was defiantly not good. I must have made some kind of horrified expression, because Kyle tried to hold back a loud laugh from out of the blue.

"It- it's not funny!" I yelled angrily. But the falcon only looked at me and continued to laugh. His expression told me plainly: Oh, yes. It is funny.

"No!" I cried. I really did. This was never going to end… Stephanie was just going to continue to laugh and humiliate me. If I didn't end this now, I was going to become her laughingstock. I needed to get out of here, now.

I tried to sit up and get out of the bed. "I need to leave now," I told Kyle. For some nameless reason, he laughed again.

"What!?"

"Honestly, Markus… You're not going anywhere," he shrugged.

"Why not?" I demanded.

He grinned mischievously, the same way he always did when he knew something I didn't. Standing up, he shoved me back down into the bed. I grabbed the side rail on the bed, but an intense jolt of pain shot through my arm and coursed through the rest of my body. I yelped out in pain and collapsed back in bed.

"That's why. The nurse says you were shot in the arm or something, and a muscle was severed pretty badly…"

I sighed, looking at my stupid arm. It was throbbing persistently, and bugging the hell out of me. I thought back about my argument with Stephanie, and how incredibly stupid I must have looked to Claire. How I stupidly asked her to go to the hospital, how I stupidly got in a fight with Stephanie, and how I stupidly collapsed on stairs… Yeah, I make a good impression on women. Can't you tell?

The next three days were like a living hell, as I was bored out of my mind. The hospital said I was okay to leave, but they suggested I stay anyway. I would normally leave instantly, but my father, being incredibly cautious as he is, wanted me to stay. And him being not only my father, but also a commander, is an extreme abuse of power, but also a reason to be able to force me to stay. I wish he didn't care so much, but then again, what can I do?

It could have been worse, I suppose. I had four visitors, and their company seemed to be the only thing capable of curing my boredom. Kyle came most frequently, having nothing to do, and also knowing me too well (as he seemed to bring up his visits were only because he knew of my horrible ability to come up with things to do and lack of patience).

Some of my other visitors were Erik and Erika Hare. They're fraternal twins (though they still look alike) and they both have a very optimistic personality. Their mother is Lucy Hare, an astrophysics professor who is way to smart. Their father's name is John, and he is constantly away on interplanetary business trips. Erik likes to hang out with Kyle and me, and Erika (why!?) is constantly talking to Stephanie and Carol.

Kevin swung by to see me too. Kevin Toad is Slippy and Amanda's son. He's very pleasant, and he likes video games. He's like me that way, and we can go hours on end talking about them. But everyone still had their training, and eventually left. And I became bored again.

Star Fox © Nintendo, you fools!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: To Ask a Girl Out  
Time: 14:20 S3, April 29

I was released from the hospital a few days later. I was lucky because it was Sunday morning, and we never had training on Sundays. I was glad to be free, but also worried about Stephanie and whether she was going to ambush me or not. I decided to risk it, and tried to think of something to do. I went into my room and searched for something to occupy me. Nothing I found was interesting, so I embarked on a quest to find Kyle.

I wasn't having much luck though. I must have looked incredibly lost, strolling back and forth through the base looking for him. This place is HUGE, even for a military base, and after nearly an entire year working here, I still lose my way every once in a while.

Sector Base 32 is the fourth largest military establishment on Corneria. It's several square miles, and houses the army, air force, capitol, and power plant of the region. Since it's so big, many soldiers, including myself, actually live here in the sector base. Many of us even get our own rooms. We simply continue to grow. On another point, our infirmary became so large; people started calling it a hospital.

Haha, I live in a military base. I go to the _infirmary_ when I'm injured. I eat in the _mess hall._ My room, as well as several others, is located in the _barracks._ You're all jealous of my awesome vocabulary.

…Lame joking aside, I was beginning to realize that this wasn't that much more interesting than the hospital. I was hoping something interesting would happen. But of course, whenever I want something, reality sort of gives me this sick, mutated version of whatever I had in mind.

As I opened the next door, I found myself face-to-face with Stephanie Caroso.

Aww, crap.

She was closely followed by Carol and Erika. With not a second to spare, I quickly turned around and began walking the opposite direction.

"So, you were released from the hospital, huh?" She smirked. I really didn't want to talk to her, so I continued walking.

"Hey, don't ignore me when I'm talking to you, jerk!" She grabbed my arm and spun me around. I tried to shake free, but honestly, Stephanie has a REALLY firm grip. I simply nodded my head quietly, trying to avoid talking.

"So, like, does your arm still hurt?" she asked me, bringing up a mischievous grin. "It looked like you took a pretty bad fall down on the stairs."

I nodded again.

_Don't talk to her. She's trouble, don't talk to her,_ I thought to myself.

"Still, what in the world? I mean, I knew you wanted Claire to go to the hospital, but that was quite a show you put on there. Falling down the stairs… pretty good thing you had going on there. You impressed with yourself?" she continued. "Oh, and there's this new thing called talking. Try it."

I didn't know exactly what she was saying; I sort of figured she might be trying to poke fun at me. But I was still curious of what she meant.

"What do you mean, impressed with myself?" I blurted out.

_Damn it, don't talk to her. _

"Not many people can get Claire to do something she doesn't want to do. I must say, I'm like, quite surprised at you!" she said. This was getting more confusing.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You mean you don't know? Wow, I guess they hired her for stealth for a reason!" Stephanie exclaimed. Erika giggled.

_Come on, Erika, you're supposed to be my friend!_

I shook my head.

"Claire checked in to the hospital after she dropped you off, Markus. You didn't know?"

I was silent for a minute. For several days now, I'd been pondering exactly how stupid Claire thought I was. But now, I find out she actually listened to me… That felt good to know. Stephanie wasn't lying, Claire rarely took other people's suggestions. But she'd listened to me. That was… AWESOME!

My search for missing persons suddenly shifted from Kyle to Claire, as I wanted to see her. I don't know if it was because I wanted to ask her why she'd listened, or because I wanted to rub it in her face that she had.

"Hey, Stephanie, where is Claire?"

"Not here. I haven't seen her lately, which means she's probably at her tower."

Claire has this thing about heights. She likes to go to the highest place available, then just sit there and think. So, apparently during her first year here, she began to come up to one of the guard towers that were rarely occupied. She went up so frequently that everyone sort of avoids it now. It's her tower now. Going up there feels weird; it would be like going through her room. So she goes up there all the time now. No one's sure why, she just feels more comfortable there, I guess.

"Thank you!" I ran off, trying desperately to remember where the tower was. I'd been there once before, but I left after it began to rain. The three girls were staring at me as I left, and I could hear Carol mutter something about me liking Claire too much.

I was lucky, because I vaguely remembered where it was and could locate it quickly. I entered the base of the tower and looked up. I forgot: this tower is unused, and unlike the other towers, this one had a ladder, not an elevator. This going to be a long climb.

It was actually easier than I expected, though the ladder did shake a few times and creep me out. I finally reached the top and opened the entry hatch, feeling the rush of cold air as I climbed outside.

I saw Claire standing there silently. She did not turn or even move when I entered. Though I doubted she hadn't heard me. I closed the hatch and walked toward her quietly.

"What are you doing here?" Claire asked quietly. She didn't move, she only continued to watch the clouds.

"I came here to see you," I told her. It was the honest truth; there wasn't any other reason I'd come up here.

"I see," she said. "And why would you want to see me?"

"I heard you went to the hospital like I asked," I answered. She remained silent when I told her this, so I continued. "You listened to me. Why?"

"Who says I'm not allowed to listen to people?" she said.

"Claire, there are only three people you listen to and I'm not one of them," I stated plainly. It was true, too.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She turned around and began to watch me very closely. It made me feel nervous.

"Claire, the only people you listen to are the Commanders and Stephanie."

She turned around and crossed her arms. I think she was pouting because she knew it was true. Claire pouting… that was a rare sight.

"Why'd you listen to me?" I asked.

"…Because you were right," she answered.

"Right? About what?"

"I should have gone to the hospital. You were right… …you're a smart kid. You know that, right?"

Me? Claire thought I was smart?

"You… you think so?" I stuttered.

"Yes, I do," she said.

"…Thanks."

It was then I got this ridiculous idea in my head. I wish I didn't, but at the time it seemed brilliant.

"Hey, Claire."

"Yes?"

Wait a minute. How could I put this so it didn't seem too stupid?

"Um… well…"

This was harder than I thought. I decided to try a straight forward approach.

"Um… wouldyouliketogoouttonight?"

Why was it so suddenly hard to talk? I'm usually a good speaker, and I've never gotten stage fright. Why couldn't I talk? Think, brain, think!

"P-pardon?" Claire asked, turning back around and staring at me.

"Er… would you, um… well… what I'm trying to say is… um…"

Talk correctly, you moron!

"Um…"

"Markus?"

"Yes?"

"Are you… perhaps inviting me on a date?" she asked.

"Yes! Oh, um… that is… uh…" Me and my big mouth. Why couldn't I just ask her like a normal person?

Claire was quiet for a moment. She turned around suddenly and for a second I could have sworn I saw her blush.

I think she stood there for all of five minutes before she spoke again. Or maybe it was just me.

She walked towards me slowly; she seemed to be a bit nervous. But still, no matter how stupid I'd acted…

"Well, Markus…" she began. "Yes, I will go with you tonight."

I desperately tried to say something, but I couldn't bring myself to. I watched her silently as she opened the entry hatch. She began to leave, but before she did, she said in a rather exited tone: "I'll see you around seven, okay? Why don't you meet me at the southern entrance?"

With that, she slid down the ladder and ran off.

Star Fox © Nintendo, you fools!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Sign  
Time: 18:00 S3, April 29

I was rather excited about tonight. Not only was I shocked that Claire had accepted my offer, but she too seemed eager for the occasion. I was very relieved that she had decided to go, for it would be quite embarrassing if she had denied my invitation. I wasn't exactly sure what to wear, but I knew I wouldn't want to show up in my military uniform. I searched through my closet for something decent.

I found a few shirts (though most were wrinkled) and some jeans, my uniforms, and a single sweater. I didn't want to look casual, but I also didn't want to seem too formal. I don't have the best wardrobe, either. Still, I had to have something nice.

As I was searching, I heard four knocks at the door, and assumed it was Kyle. I don't know why, but Kyle always knocks four times. I opened the door, learning that my guess was correct. He entered and looked at my open closet.

"Women always judge you if you can't dress correctly… I prefer to avoid them. Females are trouble," he told me. "And yes, I know you have a date. Rumors travel fast around here."

I stared at him for a second; then glanced at the clock on the wall. It was six o' clock, only three hours after I'd asked Claire out. Even if it was record time, Claire seemed more of the shy type when it came to things like this. Maybe Stephanie found out and told everyone.

"Hey, Kyle, what should I wear?" I decided to ask. Maybe he would know.

"I dunno. Nice choice, though. Claire's a nice girl," he said.

I started rummaging through my closet again. Kyle continued to talk.

"I wonder what your dad would think, though. You, going out with his worst rival's daughter… How ironic. I bet your mom and Miss Lorelei would die laughing, too."

"Kyle, come on! Help me find something to wear!" I begged. I've only been on a few dates, and they've never been real impressed with my apparel.

"Hehe. You gonna marry her? That'd tick your dad off. He'd be related to Wolf…"

"Kyle!" I snapped irritably.

"Sorry. You know me; I'm here for moral support."

I continued searching my closet, there seemed to be no good clothes.

"But if you're desperate, I have this nice outfit I went out in once. You know, the one I wore during our senior prom?"

Ha. That had to be Kyle's one and only outfit with any kind of formal look whatsoever. But it was still kind of loose, and it didn't look too professional. Plus, Kyle and I have had the same size clothing for years now.

"You wanna try it on?" he offered.

"Why not? It's not like I have anything better to wear," I said. I did want to see how I looked, because I really didn't have anything else. I could use a change of pace anyway.

Kyle ran off to fetch it and I closed the closet door, vowing to shop for decent clothes. Maybe I could get more dates if I dressed nicely. Ha. Me, with a girlfriend?

Kyle came back and I tried on the outfit. It fit well, and it did look pretty nice.

"What would you do without me?" he asked, grinning. I guess I had something to wear tonight. Wonderful.

Later that night, I headed toward the southern entrance of the base with great anticipation. I was a bit excited; this was my first date in a long time, and with Claire of all people. I wasn't sure if I was being too enthusiastic, but I was completely disappointed when I saw she wasn't there. I checked my watch. I was about five minutes early, so I decided to wait.

As I waited I thought about what I planned to do. Since it was Sunday, most places would be closed, so I found a nice restaurant about three miles away. I didn't want to drive too long, because Sunday night traffic is so bad that most people will straight up walk. In addition, my car isn't very impressive. Most electric cars are cheap anyway.

I continued to kill time, and decided I had to go to the bathroom. I was getting bored of waiting, anyway.

I hastily used the bathroom, but while washing my hands I noticed I'd forgotten my keys, which would be of great importance if I wanted to drive anywhere. I ran back down to the barracks, and began searching my room. I finally found them on my desk, on the hook right where they're supposed to be. Glancing at the clock, I found it was seven ten- I was late. Great…

I ran all the way back to the southern entrance, only to find that Claire was still not there. I waited longer, really hoping that she would come. I'd worked too hard for her presence. But it was already seven twenty now.

Finally tired of waiting, I began to look for her. I figured she'd be at her tower- Claire's kind of a social disaster. She prefers places of isolation, and, strangely, of high elevation.

I opened the hatch, and surely enough, she was standing there, motionless. This time, she ignored my entrance.

I approached her, not capable of holding back an angry glare. I tapped her shoulder, but she didn't respond.

"Claire," I said, getting annoyed.

Silence.

"Hey!"

"What?" she finally said.

"We had plans tonight, you know," I reminded her.

"Oh? We did?"

I narrowed my eyes. She countered with an 'I could eat your face' look.

"If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not coming," she said briskly. I knew she was trying to aggravate me, but Claire never acted like this. Claire was rather shy and obedient. She rarely toyed with anyone, and didn't enjoy pranks. Sure, she had an attitude, but not like this.

"What's with you?" I asked.

"Listen, I've had a long day… I'm really not in the mood to go out, okay?"

I should have simply walked away, putting the matter aside. I should have left it alone, knowing that Claire had made up her mind. But of course, as stupid as I am, I decided to argue.

"Why?" I demanded. "Why did you change your mind!? You were fine, even happy about it earlier! What reason could you have to suddenly change your mind?"

She turned around and glared at me. Her expression was cold and irritated, as if she was offended by my presence. She crossed her arms and took a step towards me.

"Why would I change my mind!?" she exclaimed. "Why would I change my mind!? Why in the world did I say yes in the first place? Why would anyone say yes? How could anyone be attracted to you in any way? You are clumsy, unintelligent, impatient, inconsiderate, and prideful. You're dependant on everyone else, you always have to be right, and you're not capable of doing anything yourself!"

That hit me hard. I didn't expect it, and I certainly wasn't ready for it. It wasn't the fact that she was insulting me, it wasn't the fact that she thought these things about me: it was every thing she had told me went rushing through my head, each insult retrieving a memory that confirmed it. I wish she would stop; I knew I wouldn't forget the things that she said for a long time.

"Claire, I thought-"

"And you know what I hate about you most? You're naïve. Immature. Childish. Juvenile. Irresponsible. Foolish. However you want to say it. You say that you thought. Whatever you thought, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear any more of your self-indulgence," she continued. "And before you go on about how you're so pathetically _sorry,_ why don't you consider other reasons why I don't want to be around you! Like the fact that your impatience and inability of thinking resulted in me having to be shot in the chest! Or may I remind you whose obsession with picking fights walked us straight into an ambush! So, the next time you decide to ask someone out, please make sure you haven't nearly killed them first. And it's not just that! There are so many little things about you that annoy me! The first month you were here, you forced me into becoming your navigation, having to show you everything, instead of just learning like everyone else. Oh, and what about the time you stole my bike, then crashed it into a building? Or maybe it's just the fact that ever since you came to this God forsaken place, I seem to have acquired a new shadow. So let me ask you this, Markus McCloud, why do you think I changed my mind?"

I stood there in silence.

Kyle Lombardi often criticizes my work to help me.

Stephanie Caroso has a habit of telling me how incredibly stupid I am.

Carol Caroso likes to tell me my every imperfection.

My father frequently scolds me for mistakes.

But Claire O' Donnell is different. Claire will tell me once that I did something wrong. She will make my faults clear, and tell me off for them. But after that, she never brings any blunder up again, no matter the extent. She's the type that never forgives, but forgets. That's why I was so surprised at her speech that night. She'd snapped at me for things I'd done in the distant past. And it wasn't just that. The way she said it, the very way she'd reminded me of how unbelievably incompetent I was, made it very clear to me how much she really hated me. Those very words brought me nearly to tears as I stood there in front of her, unable to speak.

"After hearing all that… what are you still doing here? Go away. No one wants to see you. Just go away," she commanded. And with that, she turned around and spoke the very words I was dreading.

"Go away, and don't come back. No one wants you here. And you're much mistaken to think I want you here. _Just go away, and stop holding other people back."_

_Go away.  
What are you still doing here?  
I don't want to be around you.  
You're naïve.  
Stay out of my business.  
Leave it alone already.  
Just go away, and stop holding other people back._

As these things echoed through my mind, I noticed that tears were coming to my eyes. Though I wasn't able to make a sound, Claire could tell that I was nearly crying. She smirked.

"Leave."

Miserable, angry, and emotionally hurt, I had no choice but to simply obey. Swearing silently to myself didn't help, but I did so anyway. I entered my room, then collapsed in bed. I decided to turn in early tonight. I didn't want to think about today.

…I told myself this, but Claire's words still haunted my mind as I tried to sleep.

Star Fox © Nintendo, you fools!


End file.
